1 March 2024
March 1, 2024
The National Association of Women and the Law reacts to appellate decision on “Bill 21”
Yesterday, the Court of Appeal of Quebec rendered its decision on the Act respecting the laicity of the State, commonly known as Bill 21. Bill 21 was adopted with the preemptive invocation of the Charter’s notwithstanding clause, which the Quebec government intends ...
29 February 2024
February 29, 2024
NAWL Presents PolySeSouvient Gun Control Activists with Shirley Greenberg Award for Outstanding Leadership in Feminist Law Reform
Today, the National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) announced it will present its inaugural Shirley Greenberg Award for outstanding leadership in feminist law reform jointly to Nathalie Provost and Heidi Rathjen, two national gun control activists who have been at ...
15 February 2024
February 15, 2024
NAWL statement on Alberta government’s proposed anti-trans policies
The National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) strongly condemns the Alberta government’s infringement on the rights of trans and gender-diverse youth. As a result of the policies announced by Premier Danielle Smith, trans and gender-diverse youth will see their access ...
23 January 2024
January 23, 2024
250+ Feminist Organizations Call for Legal Reform to Ban Parental Alienation Accusations
The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, The Honourable Arif Virani, The Honourable Pierre Poilievre, Jagmeet Singh, Yves-François Blanchet, We write to you as feminist and equality-seeking organizations to urge you to take action to address a crisis of dramatic proportions ...
17 January 2024
January 17, 2024
NAWL Celebrates 50 Years of Advancing Women’s Substantive Equality
50 Years of Leadership and Expert Legal Contributions in Canada The National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) is kicking off its 50th anniversary in 2024 by celebrating five decades of landmark law reform, leadership and advocacy to break down barriers ...
15 January 2024
January 15, 2024
NAWL welcomes valuable funding from Women and Gender Equality Canada for new GBV-Responsive Family Law Reform project
The National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) is grateful for the funding support from Women and Gender Equality Canada for our project, Promoting GBV-Responsive Family Justice Through Collaborative Law Reform. This promising practices project will address victims’ persistent legal needs in ...
14 December 2023
December 14, 2023
Media Statement on the Senate’s passing of gun control legislation, bill C-21
The National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) welcomes the passing of Canada’s new gun control legislation — Bill C-21, An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms) – at third reading in the Senate of ...
13 December 2023
December 13, 2023
Gun Control is a Women’s Issue
As Bill C-21 progresses through the Senate, Suzanne Zaccour, Director of Legal Affairs for the National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) and Aja Mason, Executive Director of the Yukon Status of Women Council, have written an op-ed emphasizing that gun ...
10 October 2023
October 10, 2023
Gun Control – NAWL submits brief on Bill C-21 to the Senate
The National Association of Women and the Law submitted a brief on Bill C-21: An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms) to the Standing Senate Committee on National Security, Defence and Veterans Affairs. NAWL’s overall position ...
28 September 2023
September 28, 2023
NAWL’s Written Submission for the Pre-Budget Consultations in Advance of the 2024 Federal Budget
In September, the National Association of Women and the Law submitted a brief to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance to share our recommendations to the Government of Canada for the next federal budget. In our submission, we underlined the ...
6 September 2023
September 6, 2023
Feminist organizations launch a new alliance to advance feminist law reform and end gender-based violence in Canada
Algonquin Anishinaabeg Territory/Ottawa, ON The National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) and Luke’s Place announce the launch of The Chanterelle Alliance for Feminist Law Reform. The Chanterelle Alliance will create the opportunity to foster greater coordination among feminist and equality-seeking ...
31 August 2023
August 31, 2023
Student essay contest on women’s rights and feminist law reform
Celebrating 50 years of advocacy for gender equality The National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) is pleased to announce the launch of its student essay competition in honor of its 50th anniversary. Participants will be invited to a student conference ...
20 July 2023
July 20, 2023
NAWL Letter to Justin Trudeau Urging for Diversity in the Supreme Court of Canada
The National Association of Women and the Law is urging Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to appoint a woman who is Indigenous, Black, racialized, and/or from other equality seeking communities to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court of Canada. The Supreme Court ...
26 June 2023
June 26, 2023
NAWL testifies before the Senate regarding publication bans
A publication ban is a court order which, in the context of a criminal trial, prohibits anyone from revealing the identity of a victim, witness or justice system participant. One of the aims of this order is to enable victims of sexual ...
22 June 2023
June 22, 2023
The fight to defend reproductive rights and gender equality continues
On the anniversary of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, NAWL joins 128 other equality-seeking organizations in calling on all levels of government to do more for gender equality and for women and 2SLGBTQIA+ people’s sexual and reproductive rights and bodily autonomy. ...
15 June 2023
June 15, 2023
Open Letter to Ministers re: Upcoming meeting of Forum of Ministers on Human Rights
NAWL joins group of civil society organizations and individuals urging Ministers to consider open letter in advance of the upcoming meeting of Forum of Ministers on Human Rights, to be held on June 20, 2023 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. “As the fourth ...
31 May 2023
May 31, 2023
NAWL Welcomes Steps in the Right Direction for Vulnerable Populations in Environmental Law: Bill S-5
“The planetary environmental crisis affects everyone, everywhere, but not equally.” Ottawa, ON, Anishinaabe territory: Bill S-5, Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act, is the first major reform of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) in over 20 years. CEPA is ...
24 April 2023
April 24, 2023
Coalition of women’s and feminist organizations call on NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh to deliver on his call for stricter gun laws
Open letter welcomes the NDP leader’s support for urgent implementation of Nova Scotia mass shooting inquiry recommendations, given the party’s lack of concrete support to date for government’s efforts to ban assault-style firearms and handguns in Bill C-21 Algonquin Territory/Ottawa, Ontario, ...
24 April 2023
April 24, 2023
Open Letter to Jagmeet Singh regarding a ban on assault-style firearms
Mr. Jagmeet Singh, M.P. Leader, New Democratic Party House of Commons Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6 Jagmeet.Singh@parl.gc.ca – Dear Mr. Singh, The #Women4GunControl Coalition is comprised of 33 national and regional women’s and feminist organizations who have come together to work toward securing a ...
7 March 2023
March 7, 2023
Women’s Organizations Call on National Party Leaders to Honour Their Campaign Promises to Ban Assault-Style Firearms
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 07/03/2023 Weapons designed for war are a threat to the safety of women and girls, groups say Ottawa, ON: Thirty-one women’s and feminist organizations from across Canada are calling on Prime Minister Trudeau to honour his government’s longstanding commitment ...